Just The Two Of Us
by AlwaysEachOther
Summary: "I'm excited that we get to spend a couple of days together, just the two of us." Jay said. Halstead and Lindsay travel to Nashville to collect and transport a perp, but get to spend time as just Jay and Erin. The Linstead road trip we were deprived of. Set in an AU Season 5 where we all wish we were.


_Hello guys! This story came from a review on my previous story, since we all wish we could have had our Linstead road trip! It was also born from the fact that I love writing for these two, but do not relate well to the case aspects of the show in my own writing, so this was a perfect fit. This is set in some alternate version of season 5 or 6 where they're still together and happy, obviously. I took a very different take on this than I'm sure they would have on the show, but that's what fanfic is for, and I love how it turned out. It really got away from me in a good way, and I hope you like it. Just a disclaimer that I have never been to Nashville (or Chicago!) but I would love to travel there one day so the few ideas in this story are based off Google Maps and Nashville places that I follow on Instagram hahaha. I hope you enjoy it, please let me know your thoughts. If you ever have an idea for a Jay and Erin story you'd like to see, please send me a message! PS, all the Buzzfeed quizzes I referenced are real if you want to do any of them, and the place they stay at is the Urban Cowboy._

/

"Alright, let's go!"

"Gee, Jay, I wonder why you're so excited to go? Perhaps because you get to drive?" Erin laughed at her partner's eager attitude.

"What? You can't drive the whole way to Nashville." He said in defence.

"Whatever." She yawned. "It is way too early to have your level of enthusiasm."

It was barely 7am, and the two of them were heading to Tennessee to pick up and transport a convicted felon who had fled the state. They needed to get an early start in order to make sure they reached Music City by the evening so that they could bring the criminal back the following day. Or so Erin thought. Jay had actually arranged with Vought for them to head up a day earlier so that they could spend a day exploring the city before they had to turn around and come home. The sergeant had been feeling quite generous when Jay had asked, and was allowing them to have a personal day in the middle of their work commitments. Jay had planned to surprise Erin once they'd reached their destination.

"If you're tired babe, I can take first shift." Jay reached out his hand for the car keys.

Erin shook her head with a grin. "Nice try, Halstead. You're not driving until we leave Chicago."

Jay rolled his eyes but dutifully returned to his usual seat on the passenger side of the car.

"And I'm not excited about getting to drive. I'm excited that we get to spend a couple of days together, just the two of us." Jay clarified.

Erin's heart melted and she smiled softly at her partner, still unsure of how she had ended up with such a considerate man. "Amongst the work." She teased.

Jay shrugged. "Just means we get paid for it."

"True." Erin admitted, allowing herself to feel a little happy about their current situation. She reached over to squeeze his leg gently. "I'm excited too, babe."

Jay's smile was all she needed to know he appreciated her answer. He took the hand that had settled on his leg and brought it to her lips, kissing her palm softly. They might be on official work business, but there were no cameras or Voight to stop them from showing a little affection. Or at least until they picked up their passenger.

/

After two hours, Erin had relinquished her position in the driver's seat, mainly because Jay insisted they change frequently so that neither of them became too tired.

Their conversation had settled into a comfortable silence, so she fiddled with the radio, searching for a song that would suit their relaxed state.

The sound of the Dixie Chicks filled the car, and Jay's lips curled into a smile as Erin began to softly sing. Her music taste could best be described as 'eclectic' and she never failed to surprise him with what she liked to listen to.

" _She needs wide open spaces. Room to make her big mistakes."_

For someone who insisted she couldn't sing, she carried a tune decently, although he knew he was most likely the only person who ever heard her sing. Except for that one time they had all gotten really drunk at Molly's ...

Knowing the song quite well, thanks to her, Jay softly joined in.

" _She needs new faces. She knows the high stakes."_

Erin smiled softly over at him, reaching over to rest her hand on his thigh. Jay momentarily took one hand off the wheel to squeeze hers comfortingly.

/

Jay smiled over at the sight of Erin sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat. She had been the one to protest sharing the driving duties so early into the trip, but of course she had fallen asleep halfway through his first turn. He didn't blame her of course. Work had been even more hectic than usual over the last few weeks, and he knew she was tired, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

The intense love he felt for her still struck him sometimes. He'd never expected someone like Erin to walk into his life, and now he couldn't imagine his life without her. Living together was everything he had hoped for, and now he was waiting for her to be ready so that he could ask her to officially spend the rest of their lives together. She had grown so much since he had met her, and he knew he was proud of everything she had fought for in her life, to be the women she was.

"Keep your eyes on the road, hotshot." Erin's husky murmur caught his attention. He glanced back over to see her eyes blinking open.

He grinned at her softly, doing as she said. "Sorry, I can't help being blinded by your beauty."

She snorted and even without looking, he knew she was blushing. "Shut up, Halstead."

He chuckled and turned his eyes back to the road, pretending he didn't notice when Erin snuck a bemused look at him.

/

"What kind of potato are you? Should you live in the city or the suburbs? Which Spice Girl are you? Who even writes these quizzes?" Erin laughed as she scrolled through her phone. When she and Jay were truly bored on stakeouts they often turned to Buzzfeed quizzes for a bit of fun, and since Jay hadn't pulled over to swap with her yet, Erin had decided to find one for them to do.

"What kind of potato are you?" Jay snickered. "Do that one, babe."

"No." Erin smiled, still scrolling. "Here are all the television show quizzes. Which character from _This Is Us_ are you? Which _Gossip Girl_ character are you most like? Which _One Tree Hill_ character are you?"

"Oh, do that one!" Jay urged. "Everyone always tells you that you look like that girl, Brooke."

Erin laughed. "Yeah, I know." She kept scrolling, looking for the perfect quiz. "Ah! What kind of couple are you and your significant other? The pressure's on, Halstead." She teased.

Jay rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Ok, hit me."

Erin sat up a little straighter, angling her body towards her partner. "Where did you two meet? Work is the first option." She snickered. Jay laughed with her.

"How would you describe your significant other?" Her voice softened as she looked at all of the options, trying to choose the one that suited Jay best. "Kind." She determined.

Jay glanced over at her with a smile. "Read them to me."

"Talented, funny, kind, really hot, selfless, incredibly smart." She listed.

"Really hot." Jay replied instantly.

Erin laughed. "I'm glad I was being sweet and picking the kind answer, and you go straight for the shallow one."

"Hey, you are all of those things." Jay argued. "I had to pick one though, and I am a very lucky man, so I choose that option."

Erin rolled her eyes with a smile and looked back to the phone.

"What is your significant other most likely to get you? Hmm." She murmured. "You're definitely the kind to go for a romantic weekend over clothes or jewellery."

She was so busy looking at her screen that she missed the mischievous grin that passed over her boyfriend's face.

"Only because I know you so well." He managed to say with a straight face.

She smiled over at him. "Yeah, you do."

"What are you most likely to argue over?" She laughed as she read the options. "I don't even need to read these to you to know you'll say 'one of you being untidy'."

"A hundred percent." Jay agreed with a deadpan expression, not even flinching when Erin arm reached over to swat at him.

"Okay, we got the 'old souls' couple." Erin laughed. "You're both quietly content with your relationship, and even if you bicker sometimes, you make up quickly."

Jay smiled and reached over to grasp her hand in his, bringing it to his lips to kiss softly. "Sounds about right to me."

Erin smiled and swiped to the next quiz. "Oh, what kind of wedding should you have? It might help us make our decision for the future." She laughed.

Jay's heart tightened in his chest as he watched her, so at ease with the idea of their wedding one day. This was turning into the best work trip ever.

"Who is the best TV couple? Coach and Tami Taylor!" She exclaimed instantly.

Jay laughed, knowing very well her love of Connie Britton. "Definitely."

/

"So," Jay started hesitantly, now that Erin was back in the driver's seat. "What time of year would you want to get married?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Depends when you ask me." She laughed, turning her eyes to him so that she could give him a wink.

Jay laughed. "Don't you worry, I'm just waiting for the sky writer to get back to me."

"Yeah, if you ask me like that, I won't be saying yes." She told him with a deadpan expression.

Jay laughed again at her response, but sobered quickly. "I would ask you right now, if we weren't on our way to collect and transport a criminal."

Erin smiled softly. "I'm not the kind of girl who needs something big, Jay." She reminded him.

"I know." He nodded. "And I promise, it won't be over the top, but you deserve something special."

Erin blushed slightly, unable to speak around the lump in her throat. She simply nodded, and reached over to squeeze his thigh with her hand.

/

Jay pulled the car to a stop outside of a large Victorian style bed and breakfast, close to nine hours after leaving Chicago. He snuck a look over at Erin and had to bite his lip to stop a laugh from escaping at the confused expression on her face.

"Jay, are you sure you got the right address? This looks way too nice for department money." She questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Maybe because it's not department money?" He suggested.

Her mouth hung open slightly. "What?"

His face spread into a grin. "So, I might have arranged something with Voight and rather than the department paying for our accommodation, he's given us tomorrow off so that we can have a vacation day. We're not heading home until the day after."

"What?" She asked, her own face lighting up. "You did this? Why?"

He shrugged. "Because we've been working hard and deserve some time off, especially you."

"I can't believe you did this for me. I mean, I can, because you're you, but …"

Jay smiled and reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'd do anything for you, Erin. I know you're not the kind of person who needs things all the time, but you deserve them. I want to give you things because I love you."

Her eyes took on a glassy look, and she launched herself forward to kiss him, her hands finding his shoulders to steady herself.

"I love you, too." She murmured against his lips. "Thank you for loving me."

He smiled and brushed his thumb down her cheekbone and across her jaw. "You can't thank me for doing something you make so easy." He whispered.

Erin pulled back slightly, her eyes still slightly damp. She had never felt so loved before in her life. She kissed him one last time before pulling away.

"Only problem is I didn't bring extra clothes with me since I thought it was just one night."

Jay shook his head with a grin. "Gotcha covered. I added some outfits to your bag when you were in the shower this morning."

Erin shook her head incredulously. "You really do think of everything, don't you?" She had no idea how she'd ended up with such a wonderful man.

Jay grinned and motioned with his head that they should get out of the car and head inside.

/

"Thank for dinner, babe." Erin told Jay as they walked back to the B&B, their hands entwined. He was definitely the romantic in their relationship, and she wanted him to know that she appreciated everything he did.

He smiled over at her. "You are very welcome."

"It's so beautiful out here." She remarked, the sun setting before them. "I'd never considered visiting Nashville, so I'm glad we had a reason to come."

"Me too." Jay agreed. "You haven't travelled outside Chicago much, have you?"

Erin shook her head. "Only to New York really, with work, and a couple of other places. I did a few trips when I was straight out of high school, but I never really had much money for that." She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, waiting for Jay to stop with her and swing around so that they were facing each other. "This is the definitely already the best trip I've ever been on."

Jay smiled, lifting a hand to cup her face. "Me too, babe."

She leaned in closer. "In fact, we'd better get back so I can show you just how grateful I am." She whispered, leaning up to nip at his bottom lip.

"We gotta go." Jay muttered, taking her hand again and leading them off, Erin giggling beside him.

/

The next day, Erin managed to convince Jay to stay in bed much later than he usually did (they were on a vacation, after all). When they finally emerged from their room they headed out for breakfast before walking through the city and going to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Ryman Auditorium. Jay became the super cheesy tourist who asked strangers to take photos of them, and Erin stopped feeling embarrassed after the first couple of times. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so relaxed. She felt that she handled the stress of their jobs quite well, but when she was away from work she recognised just how different she felt. Sure, she loved her job, especially since it had brought her to Jay, but it was nice to have a day away from so much responsibility.

They went out to dinner again, and she was once again happy with his choice of outfit that he'd packed for her. They walked back under the stars that were brighter than they appeared in Chicago, arms wrapped around each other, her lips slipping over his throat on more than one occasion which caused his fingers to tighten their hold on her hip.

"I see what you mean now, about how you'd ask me if we weren't transporting a criminal back with us." Erin chuckled.

Jay smiled wryly. "I really would've, but it was enough to get Voight to agree to this one day. And trust me, the day after you agree to marry me, we're not getting out of bed for anything, let alone sharing a car with a perp for seven hours."

Erin's heart flipped a little (not that she'd ever admit it). "Good plan." She managed to murmur. "And just so we're clear, Jay." She pulled him to a stop to make sure he really heard her. "When you do decide to ask me, I'm going to say yes. No matter how or where you ask, I could never say no to that."

His eyes lit up in a way she'd seen few times before, and he snaked his arm around her once more and pulled her close again.

"Good to know, babe." He whispered, before he stole her breath with a searing kiss.

/

The next morning they were up early and at the station where their perp was being held. They had planned to leave early again so that they could have plenty of time to get back to Chicago and spend time at home before officially getting back to work the day after. Their trip home was a lot less fun due to the addition of a stranger, but the man had thankfully fallen asleep about halfway through the trip, meaning Jay and Erin had a little bit of privacy again.

By late in the afternoon they had reached Chicago and dropped the perp off at the District before they headed home. There had been an unspoken agreement between them that they both wanted to hold on to the magic that had enveloped them when they'd left; that the world had been just the two of them for a few days.

They ordered take out and snuggled up on the couch, glad to be home but unwilling to return to reality the following day.

"In case I haven't said it enough times the last few days, thank you, Jay." Erin lifted her head from its place on his chest to look up at him. "It's the most special thing anyone's ever done for me."

He leant down to kiss her forehead. "You have said it enough, but again, you're very welcome. You deserve it."

"It's nice to have just felt like myself the last couple of days." She admitted. "Not having to be Detective Lindsay, or for us to be Halstead and Lindsay. We were just Erin and Jay."

"I know what you mean." Jay agreed. "We'll do it again. Soon." He promised.

/

He certainly kept his promise. A couple of months after their Nashville trip, Erin had arrived home one day to find her boyfriend sitting on their bed, two packed bags on the floor beside him.

"What's going on?" She laughed.

"Road trip!" Jay grinned. "Voight gave us the weekend off and I am taking my girl away."

She grinned back, still getting used to the suddenly spontaneous side to him. "Life will never be boring with you around." She joked, moving forward to kiss him.

It had started as a surprise, but halfway through their trip she'd realised he was taking her to the cabin in Wisconsin, where he'd taken her a few times since the start of their relationship. Once she'd realised where they were headed, she reached over and grabbed his hand to squeeze. He gave her a soft smile in return and brought her palm to his lips, which had become a habit for him.

It was dark by the time they reached their destination, and as soon as they entered the cabin Jay started working on the fireplace to warm up the room that had been empty for a few months. When he was done, Erin held her arms out to him and wriggled her fingers, wordlessly asking for him to join her. He chuckled and joined her on the couch as he wrapped her up in his arms.

"This was a good idea." She remarked.

He smiled and nuzzled her neck in return. "I agree."

The next day they relaxed at the cabin before they went for a hike in the woods. As the sun set over the mountains, Jay sat behind Erin, his arms and legs bracketing her in place.

"It's so beautiful." Erin observed.

"Yeah, it is." Jay said without moving his eyes from her.

Erin noticed he had his eyes fixed on her, and turned her body so that she faced him. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Just thinking about how perfect you are, and how perfect this moment is." He said honestly.

She sighed happily and let her eyes drift closed as she leaned forward to press her forehead to his. "It is pretty perfect."

"It'll be even more perfect if you say yes."

Her eyes snapped open at that and she pulled away to see Jay holding an open box between them. An open box with a beautiful ring inside. Her mouth dropped open as she shifted her eyes back to his.

"Erin Lindsay, you are the best thing in my life. You're talented, funny, kind, really hot, selfless and incredibly smart."

A tearful laugh bubbled in her throat when she realised he was quoting the stupid Buzzfeed quiz they'd done in the car months ago.

He grinned back before continuing. "You're all those things and more, especially the hot and selfless parts. I am so lucky to have you in my life. You deserve the whole world, and I promise I will spend the rest of my life giving it to you. Will you marry me?" He swallowed heavily as his heart beat frantically in his chest.

She blinked through the tears that had gathered in her eyes and nodded furiously at him. "Of course I will."

He slid the ring onto her finger with hands that shook slightly, then pulled her close so he could cover her face with kisses. "I love you, Erin Lindsay."

"I love you, Jay Halstead. With all of my heart." She gasped as her hands gripped at him desperately.

He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her down on top of him, their kisses heavy and desperate.

"So I recall something about us not leaving the bed for anything after getting engaged?" Erin remarked as they lay in bed that night.

Jay laughed which caused his bare chest to vibrate under her head. "That's right, babe. Good thing we're not leaving until tomorrow night."

She laughed with him then turned her head so her chin rested on his chest and her eyes met his. "Thank you for loving me."

Jay smiled, recalling the last time she had said those words to him. He hoped one day she wouldn't feel the need to thank him for something he whole-heartedly loved doing.

"You can't thank me for doing something you make so easy." He repeated.

She crawled closer to him so that she could connect her lips to his once more.

"I can't wait to marry you." She whispered.

"Me either, babe." He whispered back.

They fell asleep to the peace of the woods, their hands clasped tightly around each other and Jay's hand over the ring on her finger. Soon they would be back to the grind of their jobs, but in that moment it was just the two of them.


End file.
